U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Colorado State Programs

State Executive Director

Kent Peppler

Kent Peppler

Read Kent Peppler'

State Office Address

Denver Federal Center
Building 56, Room 2760
Denver, Colorado 80225-0426
(720) 544-2876

FSA Administered Programs

Are you a new producer? Check out our First Visit Fact Sheet HERE!
Don't forget to report your acreage. Make sure you have all the necessary documents by reviewing this fact sheet!

Commodity-Income Safety Programs

Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC)/Price Loss Coverage (PLC)

Under the 2018 Farm Bill, farmers and landowners can choose between three commodity title alternatives: ARC-CO (payment based on county revenue), ARC-IC (payment based on individual farm revenue), and PLC (payment based on market year average). Program details for each are outlined below. Learn More

Agriculture Risk Coverage 

The ARC-CO program provides income support tied to historical base acres, not current production, of covered commodities. ARC-CO payments are issued when the actual county crop revenue of a covered commodity is less than the ARC-CO guarantee for the covered commodity.
Individual Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC-IC) program payments are issued when the actual individual crop revenue for all covered commodities planted on the ARC-IC farm is less than the ARC-IC guarantee for those covered commodities. ARC-IC uses producer’s certified yields, rather than county level yields.

Price Loss Coverage 

PLC program payments are issued when the effective price of a covered commodity is less than the respective reference price for that commodity. The effective price equals the higher of the market year average price (MYA) or the national average loan rate for the covered commodity.


Conservation Programs

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary program that contracts with agricultural producers so that environmentally sensitive agricultural land is not farmed or ranched, but instead devoted to conservation benefits. CRP participants establish long-term, resource- conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat. In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years. CRP is authorized by the Food Security Act of 1985 and was reauthorized by the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill). The program is also governed by regulations published in 7 CFR, part 1410. The program is implemented by FSA on behalf of USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation. Learn More

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a component of the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CREP is a public-private partnership program, allowing states, Tribal governments, non-profit and private entities to partner with FSA to implement CRP practices that address high priority conservation and environmental objectives. Learn More

  • Colorado Republican River: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the State of Colorado are partners in implementing a voluntary Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to enroll up to 60,000 acres of cropland within the Republican River Basin in Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma, counties. The Colorado Republican River CREP is intended to reduce irrigation water consumption by removing irrigated cropland from agricultural production and converting the land to permanent vegetative cover, including native grasses, forbs and legumes. In addition, the conversion of irrigated cropland to permanent vegetative cover will reduce the amount of fertilizer and pesticide application, reduce soil erosion, enhance water quality and wildlife habitat, and reduce the amount of energy used through reduced groundwater pumping. Learn More
  • Colorado Rio Grande: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the State of Colorado are partners in implementing a voluntary Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to enroll up to 40,000 acres of agricultural land in Alamosa, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties within the State of Colorado. The Colorado Rio Grande CREP is intended to significantly decrease the amount of water consumption and reduce the quantity of agricultural chemicals and sediment that would otherwise enter the waters of Colorado from irrigated agricultural lands. Learn More

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands

USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Grasslands Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary program that contracts with agricultural producers to help landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland, pastureland, and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands. The program emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and eligible land containing shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion. The grasslands CRP program is a working lands program. Working lands conservation programs help farmers to enhance the sustainability of their operations while keeping land in production. Learn More

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)

Provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by wind erosion, floods, hurricanes, or other natural disasters, and for carrying out emergency water conservation measures during periods of severe drought. The natural disaster must create new conservation problems, which, if not treated, would: impair or endanger the land; materially affect the productive capacity of the land; represent unusual damage which, except for wind erosion, is not the type likely to recur frequently in the same area; and be so costly to repair that Federal assistance is, or will be, required to return the land to productive agricultural use. Owners should check with their local FSA office to find out about ECP sign-up periods after a natural disaster has occurred. Learn More


Emergency and Disaster Programs

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)

Provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by wind erosion, floods, hurricanes, or other natural disasters, and for carrying out emergency water conservation measures during periods of severe drought. The natural disaster must create new conservation problems, which, if not treated, would: impair or endanger the land; materially affect the productive capacity of the land; represent unusual damage which, except for wind erosion, is not the type likely to recur frequently in the same area; and be so costly to repair that Federal assistance is, or will be, required to return the land to productive agricultural use. Owners should check with their local FSA office to find out about ECP sign-up periods after a natural disaster has occurred. Learn More

Emergency Farm Loans

The Emergency loan program is triggered when a natural disaster is designated by the Secretary of Agriculture or a natural disaster or emergency is declared by the President under the Stafford Act. These loans help producers who suffer qualifying farm related losses directly caused by the disaster in a county declared or designated as a primary disaster or quarantine area. Also, farmers located in counties that are contiguous to the declared, designated, or quarantined area may qualify for Emergency loans. For production losses, a 30% reduction in a primary crop in a designated or contiguous county is required. The Maximum outstanding loan amount is $500,000. Learn More

Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)

The Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides payments to eligible owners of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) land in order to carry out emergency measures to restore land damaged by a natural disaster. The natural disaster must create new conservation problems, which, if not treated, would: harm the natural resources of the land; significantly affect future land use; represent unusual damage which, except for wind erosion, is not the type likely to recur frequently in the same area; and be so costly to repair that Federal assistance is, or will be, required. Owners should check with their local FSA office to find out about EFRP sign-up periods after a natural disaster has occurred. Learn More

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP)

ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease (including cattle tick fever), adverse weather, or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, not covered by LFP and LIP.  Including eligible feed and eligible transportation losses. Learn more about ELAP.

Emergency Relief Program (ERP)

ERP Phase 2 provides assistance to agricultural producers offset the impacts of natural disasters in 2020 and 2021, Congress included emergency relief funding in the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 117-43). This law targets at least $750 million for livestock producers impacted by drought or wildfires. Learn more about ERP.

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)

NAP provides financial assistance to eligible producers affected by drought, flood, hurricane, or other natural disasters. This federally funded program covers noninsurable crop losses and planting prevented by disasters. Producers who are landowners, tenants, or sharecroppers who share in the risk of producing an eligible crop are eligible. Eligible crops include commercial crops and other agricultural commodities produced for food (including livestock feed) or fiber for which the catastrophic level of crop insurance is unavailable. Also eligible for NAP coverage are controlled-environment crops (mushrooms and floriculture), specialty crops (honey and maple sap), and value loss crops (aquaculture, Christmas trees, ginseng, ornamental nursery, and turfgrass sod). Authorized by section 196 of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (Pub. L. 104-127) (7 U.S.C. 7333), as amended. Learn More

Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP)

PARP will assist eligible producers of agricultural commodities who experienced revenue decreases in calendar year 2020 compared to 2018 or 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PARP will help address gaps in previous pandemic assistance, which was targeted at price loss or lack of market access, rather than overall revenue losses. Learn more about PARP.

Tree Assistance Program (TAP)

TAP provides financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes, and vines damaged by natural disasters. Learn more about TAP.


Livestock Programs

Dairy Margin Coverage

The 2018 Farm Bill authorizes the new Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, which replaces the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy). Much like the MPP-Dairy program, the DMC program is a voluntary program that provides dairy operations with risk management coverage that will pay producers when the difference (the margin) between the national price of milk and the average cost of feed falls below a certain level selected by the program participants. Learn More

An eligible dairy operation must:

  • Have a production history determined by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA);
  • be registered to participate during a signup announced by FSA;
  • pay a $100 administrative fee annually for each year of participation, except if the dairy operation qualifies for a waiver for limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged, or veteran farmers and ranchers;
  • select a coverage level ranging from $4.00 to $9.50 per hundredweight in $0.50 increments;
  • select a coverage percentage of the dairy operation’s production history ranging from 5 percent to 95 percent, in 5 percent increments.

Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)

LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire on land that is non-irrigated native or improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or that is planted specifically for grazing. Learn more about LFP.

Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)

LIP provides benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather or by attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government. Learn more about LIP.

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP)

ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease (including cattle tick fever), adverse weather, or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, not covered by LFP and LIP.  Including eligible feed and eligible transportation losses. Learn more about ELAP.

Emergency Relief Program (ERP)

ERP Phase 2 provides assistance to agricultural producers offset the impacts of natural disasters in 2020 and 2021, Congress included emergency relief funding in the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 117-43). This law targets at least $750 million for livestock producers impacted by drought or wildfires. Learn more about ERP.


Loan Programs

Inflation Reduction Act: Discrimination Financial Assistance Program

The Discrimination Financial Assistance Program is a new program, authorized by Section 22007(e) of the Inflation Reduction Act, that will provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to 2021.

Details about the program, including an application and e-filing portal, are available at 22007apply.gov. Applicants can also call the free call center at 1-800-721-0970

Filing an application is FREE and does not require a lawyer. The application period is open and runs through January 13, 2024.


Direct Farm Ownership Loan Down Payment: Socially Disadvantaged (SDA) Producers

FSA has a special loan program to assist minority and women farmers, veteran farmers and beginning farmers and ranchers (BFR) in purchasing a farm. Retiring farmers may use this program to transfer their land to future generations.

To qualify:

  • The applicant must make a cash down payment of at least 5 percent of the purchase price.
  • The maximum loan amount does not exceed 45 percent of the lesser of (a) the purchase price of the farm or ranch to be acquired; (b) the appraised value of the farm or ranch to be acquired; or (c) $667,000 (Note: This results in a maximum loan amount of $300,150).
  • The term of the loan is 20 years. The interest rate is 4 percent below the direct FO rate, but not lower than 1.5 percent.
  • The remaining balance may be obtained from a commercial lender or private party. FSA can provide up to a 95 percent guarantee if financing is obtained from a commercial lender. Participating lenders do not have to pay a guarantee fee.
  • Financing from participating lenders must have an amortization period of at least 30 years and cannot have a balloon payment due within the first 20 years of the loan.

Learn more about Loans for SDA Producers and Loans for BFR Producers. General Farm Loan information can also be found here

Direct Farm Ownership Loan

A loan made to eligible applicants to purchase, enlarge, or make capital improvements to family farms, or to promote soil and water conservation and protection. Maximum loan amount is $600,000. A percentage of direct farm ownership loan funds are targeted for beginning farmers and socially disadvantaged applicants. Learn More

Direct Operating Loan

A loan made to an eligible applicant to assist with the financial costs of operating a farm. Maximum loan amount is $400,000. A percentage of direct operating loan funds are targeted for beginning farmers and minority and women farmers. Learn More

Guaranteed Farm Ownership Loan

A loan made by another lender and guaranteed by FSA to eligible applicants to purchase, enlarge, or make capital improvements to family farms, or to promote soil and water conservation and protection. A percentage of guaranteed farm ownership loan funds are targeted for beginning, minority and women farmers. Click here for more information on guaranteed loans.

Guaranteed Operating Loan

A loan made by another lender and guaranteed by FSA to an eligible applicant to assist with the financial costs of operating a farm. A percentage of guaranteed operating loan funds are targeted for beginning, minority and women farmers. Click here for more information on guaranteed loans.

Farm Storage Facility Loan Program

USDA may make loans to producers to store, handle and/or transport eligible commodities they produce including acquiring, constructing, or upgrading new or used, portable or permanently affixed, on-farm storage and handling facilities; acquiring new or used storage and handling trucks; and acquiring portable or permanently affixed storage and handling equipment.

Eligible commodities include corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley or minor oilseeds harvested as whole grain or other-than-whole grain; other grains (triticale, speltz and buckwheat); pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas and dry peas); hay; honey; renewable biomass; fruits (includes nuts) and vegetables - cold storage facilities; floriculture; hops; malted small grains; maple sap; maple syrup; milk; cheese; butter; yogurt; eggs; meat/poultry (unprocessed); rye; and aquaculture; hemp; seed cotton; wool. Learn More

Nonrecourse Marketing Assistance Loan and Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) Program

Provide producers interim financing at harvest time to meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. Allowing producers to store production at harvest facilitates more orderly marketing of commodities throughout the year. Marketing assistance loans for covered commodities are nonrecourse because the commodities are pledged as loan collateral and producers have the option of delivering the pledged collateral to CCC as full payment for the loan at maturity.

A producer who is eligible to obtain a loan, but who agrees to forgo the loan, may obtain an LDP. The LDP rate equals the amount by which the applicable loan rate where the commodity is stored exceeds the alternative loan repayment rate for the respective commodity. Learn More

Sugar Loan Program and Sugar Marketing Allotments

The federal Sugar Loan Program provides nonrecourse loans to processors of domestically grown sugarcane and sugar beets with maturities of up to nine months from when the sugarcane or sugar beet harvest begins. The loans provide sugar producers with interim financing at harvest time to meet cash flow needs without having to sell the commodity when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. Allowing sugar producers to store production at harvest helps the more orderly marketing of commodities throughout the year. Learn More

Emergency Farm Loans

The Emergency loan program is triggered when a natural disaster is designated by the Secretary of Agriculture or a natural disaster or emergency is declared by the President under the Stafford Act. These loans help producers who suffer qualifying farm related losses directly caused by the disaster in a county declared or designated as a primary disaster or quarantine area. Also, farmers located in counties that are contiguous to the declared, designated, or quarantined area may qualify for Emergency loans. For production losses, a 30% reduction in a primary crop in a designated or contiguous county is required. The Maximum outstanding loan amount is $500,000. Learn More

Youth Loans

Youth Loans provide operating type loans to eligible rural youth applicants to finance a modest income-producing agricultural project. Maximum loan amount is $5,000. Learn More


Organic Programs

Emergency Relief Program (ERP)

ERP Phase 2 provides assistance to agricultural producers offset the impacts of natural disasters in 2020 and 2021, Congress included emergency relief funding in the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 117-43). This law targets at least $750 million for livestock producers impacted by drought or wildfires. Learn more about ERP.

Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides organic producers and handlers with financial assistance to reduce the cost of organic certification. The program reimburses producers and handlers for a portion of their paid certification costs. Once certified, organic producers and handlers are eligible to receive reimbursement for 50 percent of certification costs each year, up to a maximum of $500 per certification scope—crops, livestock, wild crops, handling, and State Organic Program fees. Learn More